Do you have any concerns/studies with the usage of Restasis based on some of the adverse effects in higher dosages administered to rats and mice? Do you know how much 1 vial of .04Ml is equivalent to the 1 mg or higher they site in the product literature? (The animal studies were based on an oral vs non-oral application). Do you know how long the drug has been around/studies prior to FDA approval? Are there any natural alternatives to Restasis that you are aware of? Thanks

Can one go without and just use refresh tears and other preservative free tears and get the same result in the end albeit a longer time frame? Does not using restasis post lasik cause any long term problems from all of your research? Will the body heal itself and reduce the inflammation that may be causing slight visual distortion (some days more than others) post lasik in time assuming one continues to keep the eyes moist? Does using restasis potentially cause problems with the eye's defense mechanism in fighting disease (i.e. similar to other autoimmune lowering drugs used for RA, Psorasis, etc.)? Informative site you provide for people! Thanks

Yes, it is possible to not use Restasis during the recovery period after Lasik and have a fine outcome. In fact that is probably the majority of people.

If the cause of the dry eye is all related to the surgery (Lasik induced temporary dry eyes), then healing should resolve the cause. If dry eyes is a natural state, then healing can only put you back to the natural state of dry eyes.

Restasis is the only medication that is approved to treat the underlying cause of dry eyes. Artificial tears are treating the symptom, not the cause. If you have underlying dry eyes or if after surgery you find that dry eyes is a continuing problem, then Restasis may be appropriate.

The theory that consistent use of diluted cyclosporine in Restasis may somehow affect your immune system is not supported by any scientific evidence.

In all cases, the diagnosis of dry eyes and a recommendation how best to treat them can only be made by a competent doctor after a comprehensive examination. The best I can do here is an educated guess.

Dry eye is often a symptom of allergies or the medication used to resolve allergies. An allergist or general physician may administer an allergy test. A conventional allergy test will be able to determine of an allergic reaction is the potential cause of the dry eye problem. A look at the known side effects of all medications you are taking can indicate if the meds are a potential source of your difficulties.

Clearly your Lasik has triggered the dry eye problem. Whether or not there was a pre-existing underlying problem that had not quite surfaced before surgery will be difficult to determine now, but you may be able to eliminate the obvious, such as meds that are known to cause dry eyes.

Itching is a sign of irritation. If the itching is at the eye lid margins (where they come together), then it is possibly a sign of blepharitis. If the itching is around the orbit (eye socket), it is possibly a sign of allergy. The eye itself should not itch.

How long after lasik may one do the normal things that they used to do to their eyes without fearing some sort of breakdown (soap/water around eyes besides in shower with eyes closed, wet tissue or cotton ball to clean area around eyes, etc.)?

Opinions will vary from doctor to doctor, but if the recovery has been uneventful, four weeks is commonly enough time for virtually all activities for Lasik and IntraLasik, possibly longer for surface ablation techniques like PRK, LASEK, and Epi-Lasik.